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Federer Wins Australian Open

January 28, 2018 9:32 AM

VOA News

Switzerland's Roger Federer holds his trophy aloft after defeating Croatia's Marin Cilic during the men's singles final at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 28, 2018.

It is Federer's 20th Grand Slam title and after going four years without winning a major, he now has won three of the last five.

The second seeded Federer, 36, cruised through the first set but Cilic, seeded number six, rallied in the 2nd and won a tiebreaker.

After splitting the next two sets, Federer dominated the decisive set to claim his sixth Australian Open title.

"I'm so happy. It's unbelievable,'' Federer said after the match. "Of course, winning is an absolute dream come true, the fairytale continues for us, for me, after the great year I had last year, it's incredible.''

"I have to take a second to hug Daphne," Wozniacki told reporters after being awarded the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at the prize ceremony. "It's a dream come true, and my voice is shaking. It's a very emotional moment," she said.

Wozniacki is the first player from Denmark to win a major singles title. It comes nine years after her first attempt in 2009, when she lost the U.S. Open final to Kim Clijsters. She also lost the U.S. Open in 2014, to Serena Williams.